Hit And Run
by CanzetYote
Summary: When out for a nature hike, Ralph and Melissa find an injured squirrel out on the road. Melissa attempts to save the squirrel, but at what cost?
1. The Crash

**NOTE:** _I feel bad about putting a few fics on hiatus but I was inspired to work on this tearjerker of a fic. Let's just say that if you hate Milton Midas in the canon, you'll REALLY hate him in this fic._

It had been a morning just like any other morning in the Evergreen Forest. Ralph and Melissa were hiking through the woods together as the sun shone through the autumn leaves. Melissa gaped in delight at the beauty of the red and golden leaves adorning the birch trees as she snapped her camera, taking photographs of all the natural beauty around her, "Isn't it just breathtaking, Ralph?"

Ralph smiled warmly as he put his arm around her, "Not as beautiful as you, dear."

Melissa giggled and blushed, "You sure know how to butter me up, Ralph." The photographer gave her husband a quick kiss on the snout and Ralph felt himself blush.

The two raccoons continued down the autumn path, taking in all the sights and sounds of nature. The Canadian wilderness seemed to envelop them as they heard the crunching of dead leaves beneath their paws.

It wasn't long before they came across a clear stream running along the edge of the forest. The water was crystal clear and untouched. Melissa sat down by the streamside and scooped up a handful of water, splashing her face, the crystalline water of the stream running in rivulets down her muzzle, "This water is so clear, you can literally see your reflection in it."

"Just another one of nature's wonders, honey." Ralph replied as he walked into the stream and stood in it, gazing at his reflection.

Melissa suddenly got a playful smirk of her face, "Say Ralph, has anyone ever told you that you look cute when you're wet?"

Ralph blinked a few times, "Why no, Melissa. I can't recall anyone ever saying that."

And with that, Melissa scooped up a handful of water and threw it in Ralph's face, "Well, guess what? Now you're ever cuter, honey!"

"Oh ho, so that's how you're gonna play. Huh, Melissa? Fine, I can live with that because you yourself look adorable when you're soaked!" Ralph said as he threw some water on Melissa.

Melissa just giggled as she threw some water on Ralph and pretty soon, the married couple were laughing uncontollably and having a big splash fight with each other in the crystal clear creek.

Soaked with the water, the two stepped out of the creek, laughing and dried themselves off with Ralph's scarf. Ralph just chuckled a bit, "That was actually pretty fun. It sure made me feel like a kid again."

Melissa giggled, "Me, too. And to think there are some people out there who would pollute something like that for the sake of money."

Ralph crossed his arms, "That makes me sick just thinking about it."

Melissa nodded, "It sure is a good thing guys like Milton Midas are behind bars."

"Yeah" Ralph shuddered, "Just the fact that a guy like him exists leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth."

Melissa sat down on a nearby stump and started taking a few shots of nature with her camera. Ralph sat next to his wife and put his arm around her. He took a deep breath of fresh air and watched the sunset. Melissa smiled as she rubbed Ralph's back, "It's getting late, we should be heading back pretty soon."

Ralph nodded, "You're right, honey. We sure had a great time, didn't we?"

Melissa nodded, "We sure did. I'm glad I took so many photos on our walk. I think I'll start a new scrapbook once the pictures get developed."

Ralph smiled, "I'm sure it'll look great, Melissa."

Suddenly, Melissa's ears twitched and she heard a voice crying out in the distance. Instantly, she got up from the stump and faced Ralph, "I think I hear someone calling for help."

Ralph blinked, "What?"

"It's coming from that way!" Melissa shouted, pointing to the west. Instantly, the photographer made a mad dash in the direction of the voice and she looked down the hill and saw a small squirrel with a bear trap on its leg in the middle of the road, crying for distress. Melissa then ran down the hill as fast as she could, autumn leaves crunching under her feet as she ran up to the injured squirrel and gently helped release it, stroking it softly with tears in her bright blue eyes, "Poor thing."

Ralph ran as fast as he could but was surprisingly out of shape. Just then, he noticed he noticed a speeding car with an eagle driving it. It immediately dawned on him that it was Milton Midas, "MELISSA, LOOK OUT!"

Ralph dashed towards Melissa as fast as he could go but it was too late, Midas' car collided with her and her bloody body was thrown to the road side. Ralph watched in complete shock and horror as Midas sped off without a care in the world. Melissa peered up at Ralph with a dazed look in her bright blue eyes. A trickle of blood seeped out of her mouth as she coughed a little, "Ralph...I...love...you..." And with that, she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Melissa...I...love you, too." Ralph choked out, pressing his eyelids shut against the salty sting of hot tears. Instantly, Ralph took his scarf off and tied it around his wife, applying it like a tourniquet in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

And with that, Ralph scooped Melissa's limp and bloody body into his arms. They were only two miles from the Raccoondiminum and neither rode their bike. Ralph sighed as he carried his unconscious wife, "We'll get through this, I promise..."

Ralph's mind was now a sea of fears and worrysome thoughts. What was a wonderful day turned out to be a great tragedy. His beautiful, loving wife was hit by that scumbag, Milton Midas while trying to help out a trapped squirrel. Midas didn't even stop, he just kept driving despite the fact that he hit Melissa full-force with his car. The thought that anyone would want to do that to someone as sweet as Melissa sickened Ralph to his very core. That eagle businessman was truly a soulless monster.

The husband carried his bleeding wife as he walked down the road. After 12 grueling minutes of torturous walking, Ralph noticed a car driving down the road and in the car was none other than Cyril Sneer himself. Ralph immediately flagged the aardvark down and he blinked, "What in blue blazes-"

"No time to explain!" Ralph shouted, "Melissa needs medical attention and she needs it NOW!"

"Get it, raccoon. I'll get you to the nearest hospital." Cyril offered.

"Thanks, Cyril, you're a lifesaver." Ralph replied as he got into the limo with his unconscious wife. And so, the limo sped off into the night.

**NOTE:** _Things are only going to get sadder from here on out. Break out the tissues._


	2. Visiting Hours

Bert, Cedric, Cyril, Ralph, Lisa, Bentley, George and Nicole all sat in the waiting room. Bentley breathed a sigh, "I can't believe someone would hurt Aunt Melissa like that..."

George patted Bentley on the back, "Your aunt Melissa is very strong. She'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

Ralph looked down at the ground. Bert sat next to him and laid a comforting paw on his back, "Ralphie boy, I..."

"It's ALL my fault, Bert. If only...I'd been there sooner...maybe just maybe..." Ralph choked out.

Bert squeezed Ralph's paw, "No, Ralph. Don't think like that. Melissa doesn't think that. If anything, it's all Midas' fault."

Ralph sniffled, "I just wish it were me in there instead..."

"But then Melissa would be the one out here crying her eyes out." Bert explained, "You wouldn't want that, now would you?"

The first of many tears rolled down Ralph's muzzle as he shook his head, "No...I wouldn't want that at all."

Bert frowned, watching Ralph as he knuckled the tear from his snout. Lisa hung her head, a river of tears trickling down her own muzzle as she hung her head and sobbed quietly. Nicole rubbed her daughter's arm in an attempt to comfort her but the tears continued to hit the lap of her jean shorts like rain. Neither spoke a single word.

There was a long silence before Cyril broke it, "Dammit! You know what I would do if I were you, Ralph? Take action! Think about it: Milton Midas not only polluted our favorite fishing hole but he put your wife in a coma as well. You know what I'd do if I were you? I'd put a bullet in his brain and wipe him out for good! He's been in and out of jail so many times that he never learns his lesson. Maybe if he were dead-"

"-Murder is never the answer." Ralph interrupted with a sob, "Besides, I don't even know if my wife will survive or not. If I killed Midas and she survived the operation, she'd be giving phone calls to me when I'm in Canadian prison. I can't imagine Melissa having to go through a scenario like that."

Cedric nodded, "Ralph is right, pop. If he killed Midas in a heated act of revenge, he'd be throwing his own life away."

Bert continued to rub Ralph's back and sighed, "But at the same time, Cyril has a point. Midas doesn't know when to stop. The only way he'd stop his crime spree is if he were dead."

"I certainly won't be the one pulling the trigger, though." Ralph replied, "It's just not worth it."

Another long silence came across the room and Nurse Peck entered the waiting room. Ralph quickly dashed up to her and looked at her with extreme concern, "Nurse Peck? How is my wife doing? Will she be all right?"

Nurse Peck hung her head, "She's currently in a coma. You can visit her if you'd like, Ralph."

Bert stood up, "I'm going, too."

Ralph shook his head, "No, Bert. I'd prefer to be alone with her if that's all right with you guys. Please, Nurse Peck. Lead the way." And so, the feline nurse and Ralph exited the waiting room.

George sadly shook his head, "Poor Ralph..."

"I know, I can't imagine how upset he must be with his wife in a coma." Cedric replied.

Bert just blinked back a few tears of his own, "It isn't fair. I can't believe Melissa is..."

"Midas is a scumbag." Cyril replied, "He should be taken out and hung from a noose, the old fashioned way. He's gotten away with way too much crap for too long. If you ask me, what he did to Melissa is the straw that broke the camel's back. If you want my opinion, we should form a lynch mob and go after him."

"I don't think all the torches and pitchforks in the world could help Melissa out of her coma." Lisa sniffled as she rubbed tears from her soft blue eyes.

"Liza iz right." Nicole nodded in agreement as she comforted her daughter, "We need to hope for ze best and hope Melizza gets better."

Meanwhile, Ralph and Nurse Peck were walking down the hall when they came to a room. The nurse sighed and rested a paw on the raccoon's shoulder, "You wife is in here, Mister Raccoon."

The second Ralph entered Melissa's room, he felt like this heart had been literally ripped out of his chest. The sight of his wife hooked up to all those machines, IVs running through her left him in complete shock.

Ralph just stared, completely speechless as he tried to register in his brain the fact that Melissa was in a coma. His loving wife, photographer of the Evergreen Standard and the love of his life was completely unresponsive. Slowly and shakily, Ralph approached Melissa's bedside and took her paw in his. He tried so hard to hold back his tears at the thought of never seeing Melissa again, never waking up to the sound of her beautiful voice, never sharing more precious moments with her. It felt like his entire world was reduced to a pile of smoldering ash.

"Melissa...it's me...Ralph...if you can hear me...p-please...g-g-give me a sign..."

There was no response. Ralph hung his head and choked back a sob, "Please...just...tell me...you'll be okay..."

No response. A single tear rolled out of Ralph's right eye, down his muzzle and dripped off the tip of his nose, landing directly on Melissa's motionless wrist, "Please...I love you...don't go..."

Ralph's ears wilted and he began sobbing uncontrollably, hot tears falling like rain upon the white sheets of Melissa's hospital bed. As corny as it sounded, he wished so badly his tears could magically wake Melissa up from her coma but in the end, they were just useless saltwater. The song "Ain't No Planes" cued up in the background as Ralph reminisced all the good times he had with Melissa.

He remembered the time when he spilled coffee on Melissa, the times they watched the sunset together, the times when they worked together at the Evergreen Standard, the times they went to bed together, all the crazy adventures they had with Bert. The song slowly faded as Ralph breathed a heavy sigh to himself. With tears trickling down the side of his muzzle, Ralph gently stroked Melissa's arm as he sang a gentle and sad reprise of it softly to himself:

_Ain't no planes gonna fly outta here tonight_  
><em>So put away the thought 'til tomorrow<em>  
><em>Look at what you've got,<em>  
><em>Don't think tomorrow<em>

_How can you just turn around:_  
><em>We might never get another chance...<em>  
><em>How can we let it go and never know it?<em>

_Baby, don't let it pass:_  
><em>It's a once in a life time chance.<em>  
><em>And it's never gonna come again.<em>  
><em>I said it's never gonna come again...<em>

As Ralph finished singing, he buried his face in his paws and wept uncontrollably, gently nuzzling Melissa's unresponsive arm with his tear-stained snout. He knew when he arrived back in the Raccondiminium that night, he'd be facing an empty space on his bed where Melissa normally lay and a tear-soaked pillow on his side of the bed.


	3. Tears Of An Angel

It had been a long and empty night as Ralph slept alone in his and Melissa's bed at the Raccoondiminium. He had literally cried himself to sleep, his pillow completely soaked with tears. Bert didn't say a single word and the only thing that broke the silence that fateful autumn night were the sounds of Ralph's muffled sobs. The sound of his calm, mature friend sobbing like a baby shocked Bert and made him feel sick to his stomach.

The sun rose on the Evergreen Forest as Bert slowly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Much to his surprise, Ralph was sitting at the table. Bert sat down next to Ralph and forced a smile despite Melissa's dire situation, "So...how did you sleep last night, Ralphie-boy?"

"Pretty well." Ralph replied sarcastically, "Nothing like a good cry to put you to sleep."

Bert sighed and hung his head, "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! She's the love of my life and I almost NEVER sleep in the bed alone with her!" Ralph shouted, new tears forming in his eyes.

Bert put his hand on Ralph's shoulder, "Listen, Ralph. Melissa is a really strong girl. She can make it through this. I'm sure that in a couple of months or so, she'll be right back to her old self. I know she's been hurt real bad but you have to look on the bright side, Ralphie boy. Melissa's a survivor. You just gotta have a little faith."

Ralph sniffled and wiped at his damp eyes, "I guess you're right, Bert. Still...I'm really scared for her."

Bert patted Ralph on the back and gave him a brotherly hug, "So am I but I'd prefer to look on the bright side of things."

Ralph sighed and hung his head, "That's where I've always been envious of you, Bert. You're always trying to find the silver lining while I'm stuck in the pouring rain. I wish I wasn't so pessimistic all the time."

Bert smiled at Ralph, "Maybe we can go over to the Evergreen Standard office and help Melissa with her scrapbook. She'll be in for a surprise when she wakes up!"

Ralph sighed, "If I knew how to work in the darkroom, I'd be more than happy to develop the photos for her scrapbook."

"Maybe Cedric could help us out." Bert replied, "He's a smart guy so he may know a few things about photography."

Ralph tried to smile, "All right. I'll do anything I can to try and take my mind off this situation. I guess putting together a scrapbook wouldn't hurt."

And so, both Bert and Ralph finished breakfast and headed off in the direction of the Evergreen Standard. Meanwhile, Bentley and George were visiting Melissa in her hospital room. The little raccoon boy slowly shook his head, "I wish Aunt Melissa would wake up, dad..."

George sighed, "I know, son. Ralph is sure lucky to have a wife like her. I guess I'm pretty lucky too to have a wife like Nicole. I mean, if Nicole was in Melissa's position, I don't know what I'd do."

Bentley shivered a little and gulped back tears, "I'm scared...what if she dies? The last thing she did was scold me and we had an argument..."

George closed his eyes. He remembered a few days back that Bert and Bentley were playing catch with a baseball outside the standard office. Bentley didn't watch where he was throwing and the baseball hit Melissa square on the nose. Instead of apologizing to her, he had the nerve to blame her for getting in the way but on that day, he wasn't in the best mood to begin with. Now he sat at Melissa's bedside, bitter tears streaming down his face as he broke down crying. George just gave his distraught son a hug and let him cry it all out on his shoulder, "I'm sure Melissa forgives you, Bentley. She isn't the type of girl who holds grudges..."

Bentley sniffled and sobbed uncontrollably, "I...n-n-n-never got to s-s-say s-s-sorry..."

George patted his son on the back, "It'll be all right, Bentley. You can always apologize to her when she wakes up."

"But what if she never wakes up?" Bentley choked up, "This'll come back to haunt me for the rest of my life!"

"Of course she'll wake up, son. Melissa is too strong to go down without a fight. Your uncle married a tough girl, Bentley. She'll be fine." George said as he wiped his son's tears away.

Meanwhile, Bert and Ralph entered the Standard office and Ralph could immediately sense an emptiness within the atmosphere. He slowly got up and walked over to the darkroom and opened the curtain, "It looks like someone already took the photos out of the darkroom. But who?"

"Hi Ralph, hi Bert." Cedric called from the other side of the office.

Ralph spun around, "Oh, hello Cedric."

Cedric tried to smile, "I got down here pretty early and worked in the darkroom right away. Melissa's photos from her walk in the forest have been fully developed. It's a miracle her camera didn't break when..."

Cedric stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Ralph hanging his head in silence, "I'm so sorry, Ralph. I didn't mean-"

Ralph sighed, "It's all right, Cedric. It wasn't your fault she was hit. Still, I'd prefer not to think about it. By the way, is it just me or does this place feel much emptier than it normally does? It's almost like there's a huge gaping void in the atmosphere. To be honest, I don't really feel like working today or putting together a scrapbook for that matter. I've changed my mind. I'm going to go get flowers for Melissa and visit her at the hospital..."

Bert put his paw on Ralph's shoulder, "Ralphie boy..."

Just then, Schaeffer entered the office and sighed, "Hello there, Ralph."

Ralph sighed and hung his head, "Hey, Schaeffer..."

Schaeffer frowned, "Is there anything you'd like to talk about? Because if there is, I'm always here."

Ralph sighed, "I just want to be alone again with my wife if that isn't too much to ask. I'll see you guys later..."

And so, Ralph left the Standard office and got onto his bike, driving off in the general direction of the hospital.

Bert turned to Schaeffer and Cedric, "Ralph needs us to be there for him and that's just what we're going to do!"

Cedric shrugged, "But how? Ralph said he wants some alone time with his wife. It's probably best we respect his wishes."

Schaeffer nodded, "Ralph has a lot of emotional baggage he's been carrying with him and I can't really blame him. I'm also pretty worried about Melissa after hearing the news and I'm sure we all are, even Cyril."

Bert crossed his arms, "Well, I don't care if he wants to be alone with Melissa. He needs his friends and he needs them now. This looks like a job for Bert Raccoon: Ace Emotional Supporter."

Cedric and Schaeffer just shook their heads and facepalmed at Bert's hammy attitude at such a time.

About 15 minutes later, Ralph entered Mr Willow's general store and he was greeted by the old polar bear, "Hello, Ralph. I'm really sorry about what happened to your wife..."

Ralph hung his head, "Well, the Evergreen Forest's a small town so everyone pretty much knows everyone. News does spread pretty fast whether it be by mouth or my newspaper."

Mr Willow nodded, "Indeed, it does. So, is there any reason you're here?"

"I'm buying flowers for my wife." Ralph explained, "I hope she'll wake up to see them when I give them to her in the hospital."

"What kind of flowers do you have in mind?" Mr Willow asked.

Ralph walked over to the floral aisle and picked up a bouquet of yellow daisies, "Well, Melissa was never a huge fan of over-the-top flashy flowers like prized roses, that's more of Lady Baden Baden's thing. She likes more simple flowers like these yellow daisies here."

Mr Willow smiled, "Your wife has never been too extravagant in taste, Ralph. Same thing can't be said for my late wife..."

Ralph blinked, "Late?"

"She passed away not so long ago in May." The polar bear replied as a tear rolled down his muzzle, "I just hope you don't have to go through what I went through when I lost her."

Ralph closed his eyes and shuddered at the thought of losing Melissa, "Well...all we can do is hope she gets better." The raccoon ringed up the daisies and sighed.

Mr Willow sighed and hung his head, "Tell you what, Ralph. These flowers are on the house. If it's for your comatose wife, then they're free of charge."

Ralph forced a smile in spite of his worried thoughts, "Thanks, Mr Willow. You truly are a gentleman." And so, Ralph exited the store with a bouquet in his hand, got on his bike and drove of in the direction of the hospital.

Meanwhile, Cyril Sneer was in his mansion, loading bullets into a gun. In front of him was a robot replica of Milton Midas. Aiming for the robot's head, Cyril pulled the trigger and the bullet lodged itself in the robot's right eye. The aardvark smiled as he set his gun on the counter of his desk, "Dead, once and for all."

Instantly, there was a knock on the door and Cedric entered, "Hi, Pop. I was just over with Bert and-"

Cedric's expression turned to one of shock when he saw the robotic Milton Midas with the bullet lodged in its eye socket, "Wh...what is THIS?!"

Cyril got up from his desk and walked towards his son, "Cedric, my boy, Milton Midas has overstayed his welcome in this world. He's been in and out of jail so many times it isn't even funny. He commits crime after crime and if you ask me, society would be a much happier place without him."

"So what are you going to do, Pop?" Cedric asked innocently.

"Put that feathered scumbag out of his misery by firing a bullet into his brain." Cyril replied, "Not only has he polluted the fishing hole but he put that photographer girl in a coma as well. He's a menace to society and a danger when he's walking the streets. The only thing a man like Midas deserves is death. If no one stops him, who knows just what he'll do next."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Cedric meekly replied.

"Good idea?" Cyril laughed, "Why it's the best idea I've had in ages! I can't believe I never thought of it sooner! That monster will be finally wiped off the face of the planet. Two days from now, he'll be at Knox's mansion giving a speech of promoting his company."

"But wasn't he just arrested for the hit and run?" Cedric asked.

"George called and told me that the police let Midas off scot-free after he bribed them with a hefty sum of money so he's still roaming the streets." Cyril explained, "And for the record, I won't be using this puny little pistol. No, I'm going to go all out with this baby!"

Cyril produced a sniper rifle from his desk and Cedric gasped in shock, "You're going to assassinate him?!"

Cyril nodded, "He'll finally get what he deserves!"

"But...you'll go to prison!" Cedric shouted, "What will I do without a father?"

"You're a strong boy, Cedric. I've raised you to be a better man than I was." Cyril explained, "I'm sure with Bert's help, you'll be able to get by in life. You know, that's one thing I've always envied about you, son. Having a friend like that ringtailed scoundrel. Maybe if I had a friend like him growing up I wouldn't be the man I am today."

Cedric sighed, "I sure hope you're making the right choice, Pop."

Cyril just hugged Cedric as he felt tears form in his eyes, "Don't worry about me, son. You should be able to take care of yourself by now. You're much stronger than I am."

Cedric sighed and hugged his father back.

The rest of the day was rather calm, almost eerily so. When Ralph visited Melissa in the ER, he presented the daisies to her and had a one-sided conversation with her unconscious body. He tried to tell a few terrible puns to make himself laugh and take his mind off his wife's condition. Everyone tried their hardest to smile and laugh to raise their spirits despite Melissa's dire situation yet deep down, all the raccoons were drowning in their own tears. Especially Ralph.

That night, Ralph arrived home and took a deep breath. A second night without his beloved by his side awaited him as he retired to his bed. With all the joking around, he was in a better mood than the night before but not by much. Little did Ralph know, his worst nightmare would come to life when the sun rose up. Breathing a deep sigh, he pulled the covers over his body and slowly shut his eyes.

Suddenly, Ralph's eyes shot open and he found himself in the most beautiful place, bathed in a golden light. He looked around and noticed he was literalky walking on air. On a nearby golden bench on a cloud sat the most beautiful looking angel raccoon he ever saw. She had large wings and a white robe, striking blue eyes and a halo floating above her head. She turned her head to face him and spoke, "Ralph..."

Ralph blinked in shock, "M-M-Melissa, is that really you?"

The angel nodded, "Yes, Ralph. Now I'm an angel."

Ralph blinked a few times, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in his mind. Melissa was now an angel, which could mean only one thing: She was dead. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Ralph collapsed to his knees, feeling warm tears slip down his face as he broke down into a fit of sobs.

Melissa stepped forward and took her crying husband into her arms. Immediately, the teardrops on Ralph's face had literally evaporated from a warmth that radiated from Melissa. Ralph felt his wife wrap her arms and wings around him, protecting him as if he were a distressed child. Melissa began to give her husband a soothing back massage in an attempt to comfort him and it seemed to be working. Ralph just nuzzled into Melissa's arms as he choked out, "I'm so sorry...if only I was there."

The angel gently ran her fingers across her husband's face, "There's nothing to be sorry for, Ralph. You simply didn't have the time to save me and I don't hold it against you."

"Melissa...I love you with all my heart." Ralph sniffled, now feeling more vulnerable than ever. A tear slowly trailed down his furry cheek.

"I know, Ralph." Melissa replied as she leaned forward and gently kissed Ralph's tear away as she continued to cuddle with him.

Ralph just looked at her with big, watery eyes and and whimpered. Melissa knew that look. Ralph wasn't one to cry easily but when he did cry, he looked like a kicked puppy. She could recall the one time Ralph watched Old Yeller and he was reduced to the messiest, most pathetic crying wreck ever but she still hugged him and let him cry on her. Ralph couldn't help but whimper, "Please...don't go."

"Silly Ralph." Melissa giggled, "I'll always be in your heart and there to guide and protect you because you're my husband and marrying you was absolutely worth it."

"But I'll miss you so much..." Ralph choked out as he squeezed Melissa's paw.

Melissa hung her head, her beautiful blue eyes welling up. A glimmering silver tear escaped her left eye and rolled down the bridge of her nose before hardening into a crystal. Ralph noticed and brushed the crystal tear from Melissa's nose with his paw. He then hugged it close to his heart as it emitted a faint blue glow.

Ralph felt a tear of his own roll down his nose as he sniffled, "So, I guess this is goodbye...?"

Melissa once again kissed the tear from Ralph's nose as she pulled him into a final hug, "I guess it is. I'll miss you, Ralph. Thank you for being there for me."

"I'll miss you too, honey." Ralph whispered as he nuzzled into the embrace.

After a couple minutes of nuzzling and kissing, the husband and wife broke away and Ralph waved sadly at Melissa.

Instantly, Ralph snapped awake and was greeted to daylight streaming through the window of the Raccoondiminium. He looked down and noticed a mysterious silver crystal in his paw. It was the tear that Melissa had shed in his dream. In a way, he still had a part of her with him. He let out a loud yawn and slowly walked downstairs. But then, he heard a sobbing noise coming from the kitchen. As he turned the corner, Ralph noticed Bert had tears rolling down his bent nose. Immediately, Ralph put his paw on Bert's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Bert sniffled and dragged the sleeve of his sweater across his eyes, "I just got a phone call from Nurse Peck. Melissa, she..."

Bert suddenly burst into a fit of loud wailing and Ralph felt tears collect at the edges of his own eyes, "WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!"

"Died..." Bert choked out before breaking into another fit of sobs, literal rivers of tears streaming down his face.

Ralph back away in shock and actually fell to his knees. His worst nightmare had literally came to life. Melissa, his loving wife was dead. That dream last night, he was visited by Melissa's angel and that could only mean one thing...Melissa was dead.

**NOTE:** _RIP Melissa. But don't worry, Midas certainly won't get away with this._


	4. Monster Hunting

Ralph hung his head and sobbed brokenly, his salty tears running down his snout and dripping from his nose like a leaky faucet, hitting the wood floor of the Raccoondiminium's kitchen. Melissa was gone, his entire world was crashing down in flames.

Bert tearfully frowned at Ralph, knelt down beside him and pulled him into a hug, "I'm so sorry..."

Ralph's sobs were muffled as he buried his face in Bert's sweater, drenching it with his tears. He was crying so hard he couldn't even get a single word out. Bert closed his eyes, feeling a few tears of his own wetting his fur as he continued to hug his distraught, widowed friend that he knew since they were children. They stayed there for a while in a brotherly, tearful embrace as they remembered Melissa.

After about 12 minutes, Ralph pulled away from Bert's hug and gazed down at the crystal in the palm on his paw. Bert followed Ralph's line of sight to the crystal and he gasped, "Wow, Ralph. Where did you get that?"

Ralph sighed, "Melissa gave it to me...or at least her angel did."

Bert gasped in surprise, "You saw Melissa's angel?"

Ralph nodded, drying his eyes with his scarf, "I had a dream this morning where I went to this place full of clouds and saw Melissa's angel there. I started crying and she comforted me and told me that she forgives me for not being able to help her in time. She then shed a tear and it turned into this crystal I'm holding in my paw. I know it sounds crazy and hard to believe but that's exactly how I got it."

Bert blinked, "So, that's the tear of an angel, huh?"

Ralph nodded, "I guess so, Bert."

"So what are you gonna do with it?" Bert asked.

Ralph sighed, "I suppose I could make it into a pendant so I have something to remember Melissa by. It's just that...I can't believe that only two days ago, Melissa and I were playing in the woods together and now she's...not here anymore..."

Bert frowned and gave Ralph a second hug, "Just take all the time you need, old buddy..."

Ralph wiped his eyes on his scarf again, "Easier said than done. You know just how dedicated I am to my newspaper editing job. And of course, I dread working on the obituary column. I'm too scared that I might lose it if I had to do that..."

"I can help you do the next issue of the Standard, Ralphie boy!" Bert offered, "You can always trust me."

Ralph sighed, "I...just don't know. The minute I step into that office, it would be too much for my heart to take...that abandoned darkroom with no one behind the curtain...I'm sorry, but that is something I just can't face..."

Bert smiled, "You know, we could always bring the printing press over here so you could work at home from now on if its too painful to enter your office."

Ralph sighed, "Bert, you realize just how much of a hassle that would be. I don't even know if the printing press could fit through the front door and besides, it feels wrong to hire a new photographer to replace Melissa. It would almost be dishonorable. It's probably best to retire the Evergreen Standard altogether and go job hunting. In the state I am now, I'm not feeling like typing up the next issue at all."

Bert just patted Ralph on the shoulder, "We'll figure something out, Ralphie boy. Just give it time."

Ralph just frowned in response and closed his eyes, trying to imagine how his life would change without Melissa. He was sure lucky to have a friend like Bert by his side.

Meanwhile, Bentley had just received news of his Aunt Melissa's death and he was completely inconsolable, bawling uncontrollably into his pillow as he locked himself in his room. Nicole softly knocked on Bentley's door, "Bentley?"

"GO AWAY!" Bentley screamed, tears running down his face, "Aunt Melissa is gone forever and I never got to say sorry to her!"

Bentley continued to weep into his pillow and Nicole sighed and walked over to Lisa's room. Lisa, too, was crying uncontrollably as George put a comforting arm around his daughter, "I know how you feel, we all really meet Aunt Melissa."

Lisa just cried loudly, tears rolling down her muzzle as she buried her face on her dad's shoulder. Nicole stepped in and sat down on Lisa's bed, "Zo, how iz your brother taking it?"

George sighed, "I haven't talked to him yet but he's probably been hit the hardest of all. After all, he and Melissa were married."

Nicole sighed, "Well, Bert iz zere for emotional zupport, maybe he could help Ralph out."

George nodded, "Bert is a good friend to have around when you feel upset. He may be kinda reckless but he's really good at lightening up situations."

Lisa sniffled and wiped the salty tears from her blue eyes, "It's not fair, dad. Why did Midas have to hit her with his car? First he polluted a pond and now he murdered one of our best friends!"

George rubbed his sobbing daughter's back, "Milton Midas is a bad person, honey. Monsters exist in this world and he is one of them."

"I just wish there was a way to bring Melissa back..." Lisa sniffled.

George sighed, "I do, too. And Ralph especially."

A long silence filled the air and Bentley finally entered the room, eyes red from crying, "It's just like when the class pet died, remember?"

"Remember? How could I forget?" George replied.

"Just like Melissa, Mr Wiggles got hit by a car and killed." Bentley explained, "I think we'll need something bigger than a shoebox to bury Melissa in, though."

"Bentley!" Lisa folded her arms.

Bentley rolled his eyes, "It was only a joke!"

George folded his arms, "Go to your room, young man! And no ice cream on sunday!"

"Aw, seriously?" Bentley groaned as he walked his way back to his room.

Nicole just sighed, "He'll need zum time to adjuzt to Melizza's pazzing..."

Meanwhile, a knock was heard on the door of the Raccoondiminium and Bert opened it, "Cyril Sneer?"

"Can I please speak to Ralph in private? I heard his wife passed away and I want to give my condolences." The aardvark spoke.

Bert nodded, "I'll go tell Ralph you want to talk to him."

And so, Bert walked up the stairs and knocked on Ralph's door, "Ralph? Cyril would like to talk to you alone."

Ralph got up from his bed and sniffled. He walked to the door and opened it. Poor Ralph looked like a complete mess. His face fur was matted with tears and his eyes were completely bloodshot from crying, "What does Cyril Sneer want?"

Bert just shrugged, "No idea. He just said that he wants to speak with you in private."

Ralph sighed, "Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt."

The two raccoons walked down the stairs and noticed Cyril standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, "Kept me waiting long enough."

"So where in private do you want to talk with me, Cyril?" Ralph asked, crossing his arms.

"It's a surprise, raccoon. Just get in my limo and I'll drive you there." Cyril replied.

Ralph shrugged, "Well, all right. If you insist, Mr Sneer."

And so, Ralph abruptly left and Bert sighed to himself. Getting to his feet the bent-nosed raccoon opened the cabinet and pulled out a jar of peanut butter. He then pulled a spoon out of the drawer and opened the jar. It was half way eaten. He sighed and began eating with peanut butter out of the jar with the spoon as he remembered all the good times he shared with Ralph and Melissa. He then thought about Milton Midas and angrily banged his fist on the table and began sobbing, scalding hot tears of anger dripping off his face and into the half eaten jar of peanut butter. In a fit of tearful rage, Bert threw the jar of peanut butter clear across the room, buried his face in his arms and allowed himself to cry openly.

Meanwhile, Cyril and Ralph were driving down the road in Cyril's limo. The aardvark cleared his throat and spoke up, "You know, Ralph. There comes a time in a man's life when he realizes that some things need to be changed."

"What are you talking about?" Ralph asked as he scratched behind his right ear in confusion.

"There comes a time where he must face his closet monster or the thing lurking under his bed in the middle of the night and tell it that he isn't scared of it anymore." Cyril replied as he continued to drive.

"I don't quite follow..." Ralph sighed as he fiddled with his scarf.

"For a well-educated journalist, you sure can be dumb, raccoon." Cyril replied grouchily, "Have you ever been off hunting?"

Ralph shook his head, "No. Never have, never will. It actually sickens me that some people consider that to be a sport. I mean, a true sport is something like hockey or football or baseball. There's nothing sportsmanlike at all about killing innocent creatures."

"You'll learn to like it, Ralph." Cyril replied, "When your target is anything but innocent. Anyway, we're almost to our destination."

The aardvark pulled his limo over and the two got out and Ralph followed Cyril past some bushes and into a clearing. Instantly, Ralph found himself faced with the polluted old fishing hole and Cyril put his hand on the raccoon's shoulder, "See all this pollution? The poison, the death, the destruction. The same monster that did this was the one who killed your wife."

Ralph sighed, "Tell me something I don't know, Cyril."

"Milton Midas is a very dangerous man." Cyril explained, "For all we know, he could be a serial killer. He's a menace to society and he needs to be stopped."

Ralph rolled his eyes, "If he were a serial killer, wouldn't his face be all over the news like Jeffrey Dahmer?"

Cyril shook his head, "You never know what a scumbag like Midas will do in private, behind closed doors."

Ralph blinked, "So, what do you want me to do? Shoot him and risk going to prison myself?"

"You catch on quick, raccoon." Cyril replied, "I have a little something in the trunk of my limo that I'd like to give to you. Consider it a present from me to you."

Ralph shrugged and they walked back to the limo. Cyril opened the trunk and pulled out a sniper rifle. Ralph's eyes widened in fear as Cyril handed him the rifle, "A sniper rifle? You want me to assassinate someone?!"

"I thought about doing it myself but considering you probably have a personal vendetta against Midas for polluting the fishing spot and killing your wife, I think you should do the honors." Cyril admitted.

"Gee, I really don't know..." Ralph replied timidly.

Cyril put his hand on Ralph's shoulder, "You know what your problem is, Ralph? You're way too soft. Milton Midas is a demon who deserves absolutely no mercy. If I were you, I'd blow his head clean off his body."

Ralph sighed, "Even if I kill him, it won't do anything to bring back the fishing hole or Melissa."

Cyril folded his arms, "True, but think about it this way: if Midas is dead, he can't harm or scam anyone ever again. And besides, even if you do go to prison for killing him, you'd most likely be seen as a hero considering just how despised he is in prison. Some folks in prison even put him on the same level as child molesters, he's seriously that hated there."

Ralph sighed, "Well...I guess you have a pretty valid point. All right, I'll take the assignment. So, where exactly am I going to assassinate Midas?"

"He'll be attending Knox's party and giving a speech there. You'll have to be able to sneak in or use a disguise to blend in." Cyril explained.

"Well, I might as well do some training before the real thing." Ralph replied.

"You know you can get it over quick if you shoot Midas in the head." Cyril said to Ralph, "But personally, I'd shoot him a few times in the stomach so his death is particularly excruciating. You know, let him writhe in pain a little before he bleeds to death."

Ralph just shivered, "I think I'll make it quick. I mean, I'm disgusted by what he's done and I'll never forgive him for killing Melissa but it would feel wrong to torture someone no matter how evil they are. I'm not a monster like Midas, so I think it would be wrong to sink to his level."

Cyril just groaned, "You really ARE as soft as a pillow, Ralph. You know that?"

Ralph shrugged, "I guess Melissa was turned on by that, huh?"

And so, Cyril and Ralph practiced sniping on a nearby patch of mushrooms to prepare for the big meeting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Cedric was comforting a sobbing Sophia who had been crying for about 3 hours straight after hearing the news of Melissa's death.

Cedric just rubbed her back as he felt a few tears slip down his own face from under his glasses, "I miss her too, Sophia..."

Sophia sniffled, "Why did this have to happen? Who on Earth could do something so horrible?"

Cedric sighed, "Milton Midas, apparently. Bert called me and told me that Ralph is having a private talk with pop. I think I have a bad feeling about it..."

"What do you mean?" Sophia sobbed, wiping her eyes.

"Well, yesterday pop was talking about..." Cedric paused for a moment and thought about just how gossipy Sophia could get, "...nevermind...it's nothing. I guess I'm just worrying too much again like I always do."

Sophia folded her arms, "Nothing?"

Cedric shivered a little, "Yeah...you see, I've been a little on edge since Pop has fainted a few times and had a few hospital visits..."

Sophia rubbed her chin, "Well, I guess it's understandable..."

Cedric breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Sophia about Cyril's plan to assassinate Milton Midas.

Later that evening, Ralph entered the Raccoondiminium with the sniper rifle under his arm. Bert greeted him with a smile, "Hey there, Ralphie boy! That was quite a long talk you had with Cyril. Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, Bert." Ralph explained, "Cyril just gave me a little pep talk is all."

Bert blinked and looked at the rifle in Ralph's hand, "What's with the gun? I thought you hated hunting."

"Well, Cyril and I had a little target practice. We didn't kill anything. Cyril told me that target practice will be a good way for me to vent." Ralph explained, "It's a nice way to get out any pent-up anger in my system without harming anyone."

Bert smiled, "Well, that's a good idea, I suppose. Anyway, it's getting late. I've made us some peanut butter waffles."

"Waffles? For dinner?" Ralph chuckled, "Well, I guess I am pretty hungry. I'll just have mine with butter, thank you. I'll pass on the syrup."

Bert just grinned at Ralph, "Comin' right up, Ralphie boy!"

And so, the two of them enjoyed dinner together. Bert tried to avoid the subject of Melissa altogether and told some jokes to make Ralph laugh. It was a warm moment in a time of despair but both of them managed to smile. That night, Ralph went to bed and put the sniper rifle on the nightstand beside his bed. He then wrapped his arms around the lonely air that surrounded Melissa's side of the bed, trying his best to imagine she was still there as he drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly, Ralph's eyes snapped open and he found himself in the exact same place he was in his dream the night before. He saw Melissa sitting on the bench on the cloud and she had her face buried in her paws and she was sobbing really hard.

Ralph immediately floated up to his distraught angel wife and put his arm around her. Melissa just blinked at Ralph before slapping him across the muzzle. A hurt and confused look came across Ralph's face.

"How could you, Ralph?! How could you agree to kill Milton Midas? Don't you know that if you kill him, you'll be just like him?!" Melissa choked out as hot tears rolled down her angelic face.

Ralph shut his eyes and bowed his head, fighting back tears of his own, "I'm so sorry, Melissa. It's just that Midas could hurt someone else and he needs to be stopped."

"YOU don't HAVE to be the one to kill him!" Melissa sobbed angrily.

"But what if he's hurting someone else as we speak?" Ralph choked out, "I can't just sit back and watch someone else suffer because of him!"

Melissa simply stroked her husband's soft cheek fur, "Ralph...you don't have to be the hero of this story. If you kill Midas, you'll be throwing your life away. You know you don't want that, do you, Ralph?"

"I'm so sorry, Melissa. I..." Ralph sniffled, his ears wilting. Once again, there was that kicked puppy look he always made whenever he cried. Melissa stepped forward and wrapped her arms and wings around her crying, vulnerable husband. He could feel a golden wave of warmth wash over him as his wife held him close, nuzzling him as he wept.

Meanwhile, Bert had entered Ralph's bedroom when he heard him crying in his sleep. Every sob, every painful whimper Ralph emitted, every single time he choked out Melissa's name...It was just way too much for the lighthearted goofball to take. Bert blinked a few times, eyes glistening with salty tears as he crept his way across the room and to the nightstand.

Bert took the sniper rifle from the stand and crept slowly out of the bedroom. Ralph's utterly depressed condition hurt and sickened Bert to his very core. Thoughts of Milton Midas, the monster who did this raced through Bert's brain. The monster who scammed him. The monster who poisoned the fishing hole. The monster who killed Melissa. Bert would never wish death upon anyone but now was the very first time he ever truly wanted someone to die. And that someone was that corporate scumbag of an eagle. He then peered at the rifle and saw a note attached to it and it read: 8 PM tomorrow, Knox's mansion.

Bert just nodded to himself before exiting the Raccoondiminium and gazing up at the moon outside. It was 3 in the morning, just 17 hours until that filthy Midas bastard would finally die. Bert trekked across the dark forest and made his way to the clubhouse. It was a bit of a walk but when he finally got there, he laid the sniper rifle inside the box full of fishing poles. Closing his eyes, Bert felt a single tear roll down his face as he breathed a deep sigh, "Sorry Ralph, but this looks like a job for Bert Raccoon: Ace Assassin."

**NOTE:** _Now the rifle is in Bert's paws, will the sweet, lovable goofball have the guts to actually kill Milton Midas? To be continued..._


	5. Countdown

Bert had finally arrived home at around 5 am, walked upstairs and collapsed on his bed. He could no longer hear heart-wrenching sobs coming from Ralph's room which was good. He slowly shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't long before 8 am rolled around and Bert yawned and stretched. He heard a knock on his door and opened it, "Hiya, Ralph. Good morning."

Ralph folded his arms, "You wouldn't happen to know where my sniper rifle is, would you?"

Bert just chuckled, "Me?! Why would you ask me?"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, guns don't just grow legs and walk off by themselves and you were the only other person here, so..." Ralph began.

Bert put his paw on Ralph's shoulder, "Ralphie boy, all this stress must be going to your head. You worry too much. I think you should just take it easy today. The gun will turn up eventually. Just relax in bed for a little bit or go for a nice walk, you could really use some fresh air."

Ralph didn't like the fact that Bert was dodging his question but he just sighed and caved in, "Oh, all right. I guess I could schedule target practice for tomorrow if I find it. Still, I am pretty hungry for breakfast."

"I can always bring it up to you, you know." Bert offered.

Ralph rolled his eyes, "I may be depressed but I'm well enough to get down the stairs by myself, Bert. Last time I checked, my legs worked just fine."

Bert sighed, "Well, if you say so. I just stocked up on some peanut butter cereal. Want some?"

Ralph groaned a little, "I'd prefer bacon and scrambled eggs, personally."

"With extra peanut butter?" Bert offered.

"No." Ralph replied, crossing his arms in annoyance.

Bert just groaned a little, "All right, Ralph. If you say so..."

And so, both Bert and Ralph walked downstairs, entered the kitchen and seated themselves at the table. Ralph looked over at the empty space where Melissa used to sit and sighed, "She really was one in a million..."

Bert patted Ralph on the back, "Just give it time. Okay, Ralphie boy? I'm sure you'll adjust to it after a while."

"Bert" Ralph sighed, "I want you to promise me something."

"What?" Bert blinked, cocking his head to the side.

"I really hope this doesn't sound too clingy or anything but I don't want you to move out. I'm actually kind of scared of being alone. I just...want a friend to be here that I can talk to. One to listen to my problems, one to talk to if I have any nightmares about...losing...her..." Ralph swallowed a lump in his throat as he choked those two words, "I need all the emotional support I can get so I don't sink into a darker, more helpless state of mind. So please, Bert, promise me you'll stay..."

Bert bit his lip and felt a lump in his throat at the desperation in Ralph's voice, "I...I'll try..."

"I see..." Ralph frowned at the response and without even a single bite of breakfast, he walked out the front door off the Raccoondiminium.

Bert suddenly began to panic and dashed to the door, "No, Ralph! I...I meant to say yes! I just zoned out a little there! I...I..."

But Ralph was long gone. Bert just stood at the door, a look of extreme remorse on his face, "I'm so sorry, Ralph..."

Meanwhile, Ralph was making his way to the Evergreen Standard office when a single snowflake fell from the sky and perched on the tip of his black nose where so many of his bitter tears rolled the past couple of days, "Looks like we're due for an early winter..."

The raccoon sadly trekked his way to the Standard as a light sprinkle of snowflakes fell from the sky. It wasn't long before he entered the office. He gazed around it. It was almost eerily silent and he could feel a chill run down his spine. Ralph hugged himself for warmth and seated at his usual desk in front of his typewriter. He took a deep breath and smiled warmly as he daydreamed of all his past memories with Melissa and just how happy their marriage was. Without any further hesitation, he began typing away the letter:

_Dear readers of The Evergreen Standard,_

_It is with a heavy heart that I, Ralph Raccoon have decided to retire the Evergreen Standard._

_Just a couple days ago, I lost my beloved wife and photographer of the Standard, Melissa to a hit and run driver. Melissa truly was the light of my life. She was my wife, she was my lover, she was the most beautiful woman in the world and I wouldn't trade her for anyone else. She was so amazing. Her beautiful blue eyes, her laugh, the fact that she'd be willing to help almost anyone out with some sage words of advice. Words can't even begin to describe just how badly I miss her."_

_Ralph paused his typing to wipe his tearful eyes with his scarf before resuming again:_

_I felt like my heart had been broken in a million pieces when my good friend Bert informed me of her passing. I cried on and off for several hours. Now this office feels like a void. A deep, black, gaping void and a shell of what it once was without Melissa here. Hiring a new photographer for the Standard is not an option. Melissa is too important to be replaced by anyone._

_So, this is my final farewell. I'm sorry that this must end of such a tragic note and it may be early retirement, but the Standard was good while it lasted. I'll do my best to move on and find other editing jobs to make ends meet. Goodbye and thanks for reading the Evergreen Standard._

_-Yours truly, Ralph Raccoon._

With a deep sigh, Ralph hit the copy button on the printing press before walking outside and taking a deep breath of the icy air.

The song "Ain't No Planes" started cueing up in the background again as Ralph sat outside of the Evergreen Standard. Snowflakes gently fell from the sky and mixed with the tears rolling down Ralph's face as he shut his eyes and sobbed quietly to himself, trying desperately to hug himself for warmth and comfort.

_Ain't no planes gonna fly outta here tonight_  
><em>So put away the thought 'til tomorrow<em>  
><em>Look at what you've got,<em>  
><em>Don't think tomorrow...<em>

The song slowly faded off into the background as the scene changed. Meanwhile, Bentley had just entered the clubhouse and sighed. He slowly opened the box where Bert usually kept his fishing poles when he spotted the sniper rifle inside, "Wow! A gun! Just like the one that Rambo uses!"

Instantly, Bentley pulled the rifle out of the box and started to play pretend, "I am Rambentley! Sir yes sir, I will fire at will on the enemy!"

And so, Bentley turned and fired the rifle. Much to his surprise, a bullet zoomed out of the gun, out the door and past Bert, missing him by only inches. Bert jumped and glared at Bentley who just stared at him in horror, "Uh oh...I'm in trouble."

"Little buddy, what the HECK do ya think you're doing with that?!" Bert shouted angrily, "That's not a toy, that's a REAL gun! You could've hurt yourself or killed someone, you know!"

Bert angrily swiped the sniper rifle away from Bentley and propped it up against the wall. Bentley just looked at Bert apologetically, "Gee, I didn't know it was real. I just found it in the fishing rod box and thought I could pretend that I was Rambo."

Bert folded his arms and glared at Bentley, "Next time you see something that looks remotely like a gun, DON'T EVER TOUCH IT!"

Bentley just hung his head and started to sob a little. Bert frowned in response before kneeling down and pulling Bentley into a warm hug, "Gee, little buddy. I'm really sorry about yelling at you like that, it's just that I don't want to see you gettin' hurt. Okay?"

Tears began to trickle out of Bentley's eyes, "It...it isn't that...it's just...I never got to...s-s-say s-sorry to Aunt M-m-melissa...b-b-b-before s-she...d-d-d-DIED!"

Bentley found himself sobbing into Bert's sweater just like Ralph did the other day. Bert just closed his eyes and rubbed Bentley's back in an attempt to comfort and soothe the distressed young raccoon, "Aunt Melissa never holdges grudges, Bentley. Wherever she is, I'm sure she forgives you."

Bentley continued to sob in Bert's arms for a good 5 minutes before and finally wiped his eyes, "By the way, what do you have a gun for anyway? You know Uncle Ralph REALLY hates hunting."

"Well...uh...I was gonna take Cedric out hunting with me. You know, do something a little on the manly side and keep it a secret from Ralph." Bert lied, "But now that you're here and all, we should probably do something safer like a fishing trip instead. All right, little buddy?"

Bentley just sighed, "I guess so..."

Suddenly, Cedric entered the clubhouse and turned to Bert and Bentley, "Oh, hey guys." Instantly, the aardvark spotted the gun propped up against the wall and he gasped, "Wh-WHAT is my father's sniper rifle doing in HERE?!"

Bert just chuckled a bit, "Oh well, funny story. You see, Cyril wanted me to clean it and I decided to clean it over here at the clubhouse."

"I thought-" Bentley began but Bert quickly slapped his paw over Bentley's mouth.

Cedric just leered at Bert for a good 10 seconds then smiled, "Well, I guess since Bentley's here, we might as well go on a little fishing trip."

Bert nodded and chuckled a bit, "Yeah, a fishing trip. Gotcha, Cedric."

It was now 10 AM. 10 hours before Milton Midas would breathe his final breath on Earth. Ralph sat outside the Standard office, sniffling and shaking. Schaeffer sat beside him with his arm around him, doing anything he could to comfort the depressed raccoon. The large sheepdog breathed a deep sigh, "It's cold out here, Ralph. Let's go to the Blue Spruce Cafe and I'll fix you up a nice mug of hot cocoa. How does that sound?"

Ralph tried to smile, "That would be nice...thanks, Schaeffer."

Schaeffer nodded, "It's really no problem. I've never seen you cry so much before. I really wish there was something I could do to help."

Ralph tried his hardest to smile, "You're already helping me by being here for me, Schaeffer. And you're right, I guess I could use a little warming up. All right, let's go to the Blue Spruce. I can use a few drinks."

"Just don't overdo it." Schaeffer replied as he rubbed Ralph's back. Ralph was a pretty responsible drinker but in his depressed state of mind, Schaeffer feared he might get a little too drunk.

The two got up and Ralph turned to Schaeffer, "You know, Schaeffer, I'm really gonna miss editing the Evergreen Standard. I think I'll have those final issues sent tomorrow. To be honest, I don't even know if they qualify as issues so much as memorial letters. I don't think I'll ever date again. Melissa was too special for me. I actually feel like a part of me has died."

Schaeffer just hugged Ralph, "It'll be all right, Ralph. Like Bert says, give it time. There will be many changes but life will go back to normal before you know it."

3 hours had passed and it was 1 pm. 7 more hours to go. Bert, Cedric and Bentley decided to take a break from fishing and have a picnic together under the shade of a tree. Cedric watched blissfully as the snowflakes fell from the sky, melting into icy cold water as they hit the lens of his glasses.

Bert had started a fire in a nearby firepit and much to everyone's surprise, the light snow didn't do a thing to damage the flame as they roasted their caught fish by the fire. Cedric was the one who caught most of the fish. Bert pulled out a jar of peanut butter and a knife, spreading it on his fish while a weirded out Cedric and Bentley watched. Bert just smiled with satisfaction, "Who needs tartar sauce when you've got the best condiment in the world: Peanut butter!"

Cedric just chuckled a bit, "You certainly do have interesting taste, Bert."

Bentley stuck his tongue out, "Peanut butter and fish? Yuck! Who on Earth would eat that?"

Bert just scoffed at Bentley, "You, Bentley, have no taste in fine cuisine."

Cedric chuckled a bit, "I'm actually a little bit surprised by the light snowfall. It doesn't usually happen until mid to late November."

Bert smiled, "I'm okay with the early snow. You know what early snow means? More snowball fights!"

Bentley frowned and crossed his arms, "To be honest, I don't really like the cold all that much. I was never really into snowball fights or building snowmen. I'd much rather have fun in the warm indoors."

"You don't know what you're missing out on, Bentley." Bert replied.

"Must be an awful lot of fun freezing your toes off." Bentley replied sarcastically.

Cedric shrugged, "I guess some people were meant to stay indoors, huh?" Bert and Bentley just burst out laughing at Cedric's remark.

Meanwhile, Ralph sat at the Blue Spruce Cafe, drinking a mug of hot cocoa. The raccoon would already feel himself warming up a little as Schaeffer tried to smile, "Feeling better, Ralph?"

"I think so." Ralph sighed, "It still really breaks my heart that I have to say goodbye to the Standard, though."

"I'm sure everyone in the town knows of your wife's passing at this point." Schaeffer replied, "Retiring the newspaper must be hard, though."

"And looking for job listings in a rival Standard does seem pretty ironic." Ralph said, trying his hardest to smile.

"So, do you want any alcohol after that hot cocoa?" Schaeffer asked.

Ralph shook his head, "Actually, no. I'm good. If I drank too much, I'd probably be up all night in the bathroom which isn't my idea of a fun time."

"You know" Scaeffer offered, "I'd be more than happy to hire you as a waiter here. Not as a full time career but just a little something to make ends meet. What do you say?"

"I don't really know about waiting tables." Ralph sighed, "I can be pretty clumsy and the last thing I want is to break a bunch of glasses by tripping and falling on my face."

"But you've got a really sharp memory and you can memorize orders pretty well." Schaeffer offered.

Ralph shook his head, "Sorry, but I don't really see myself as a waiter."

"Well, if you ever change your mind about it, you can always talk to me, Ralph." Schaeffer replied.

"I know." Ralph replied sadly, watching the gentle fall of snowflakes out of the window he was seated by.

The afternoon came and went by rather quickly. It was already 5 pm and Bert was back at the Raccoondiminium eating an early dinner. Just 3 more hours til that monster would pay. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he finished the peanut butter taco he made for dinner on his plate. Bert hung his head, a warm salty tear winding its way down his muzzle, dripping off his nose and splattering on the plate as he thought about the assassination plot he would soon unfold. Letting out a soft whimper, Bert dragged his sleeve across his tearful eyes before walking to the sink and putting the plate in.

Just then, Ralph knocked on the door and Bert walked over and opened it for him. Bert sighed, "So, it looks like the standard is no more, huh?"

Ralph sadly nodded, "The final issue isn't really an issue so much as a letter explaining why the newspaper is closing."

"I'm sorry it had to end like this." Bert choked out sadly.

Ralph frowned, reach up and placed his paw on Bert's shoulder, "We had a good run, Bert. I guess nothing good lasts forever..." Poor Ralph couldn't help but think about Melissa and her jarring absence in the Raccoondiminium.

"I made some peanut butter tacos for dinner if you're hungry. Meat, lettuce, cheese and peanut butter in a corn tortilla shell but no hot sauce or sour cream." Bert offered.

Ralph just groaned and rolled his eyes, "Oh, you and that peanut butter obsession of yours..."

Bert folded his arms at Ralph's comment but then he had a sad look on his face, "Ralph...have you ever been forced to make a tough decision before in your life. Maybe even one that could change your life forever?"

Ralph blinked, "Well, a few times. Why?"

Bert bit his lip, trying to control his emotions, "I...have a friend who is really angry with someone and...he's afraid he might snap and hurt this person. He might be throwing his life away if he does it. What should I do?"

"You should probably talk to him about it. Do anything you can to distract him from this person. Watch a movie, play a sport, sing karaoke together. Do anything you can to get his mind off this person." Ralph advised, "By the way, would this person he wants to hurt so badly be Milton Midas?"

Bert just sighed, "Milton Midas has made a lot of enemies, Ralph. He's stepped on too many toes to count. So in a way, yeah. I guess you could say he has a beef with him."

Ralph blinked a few times, "So this is about Milton Midas, huh? Wait a second! The missing sniper rifle, the angry friend. You took the rifle while I was sleeping and gave it to this friend of yours, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, Ralph. I-" Bert began.

"Who exactly did you give the rifle to?" Ralph asked.

Bert sighed and began thinking. He needed to lie to Ralph. Bentley was too young for a revenge scheme and Cedric and Sophia were too soft, Lisa was too emotional to carry out an assassination plot, no way would Nicole do it. "George." Bert lied to Ralph. The lovable goofball of a raccoon felt his heart break out of sheer remorse but he needed someone to point the finger at.

Ralph blinked, "My brother? HE plans on killing Milton Midas? Are you positive? Because if I talk to him on the phone and find out he doesn't have the rifle, I WILL NOT be happy!"

And so, as Ralph dialed George's phone number, Bert slowly snuck out of the Raccoondiminium and made a run for it. Bert ran as fast as he could in the direction of the clubhouse. He needed to lay low until 8 PM, the time Midas was due to give his speech as Knox's party.


	6. Blood In The Mansion

Bert sat all alone with Broo in the clubhouse as he cried softly to himself. So many thoughts raced through Bert's mind, especially thoughts on all the pain Midas caused and the potential consequences of killing that monstrous scam artist. A warm tongue started licking the tears rolling down Bert's face as he cried. Bert sniffled and tried to smile at Broo as the puppy licked his salty tears away.

Bert gently petted Broo on the head and spoke softly to him, "Broo...thanks for being here for me."

Broo whimpered softly and nuzzled into Bert's lap. The raccoon shut his eyes and breathed a deep sigh. He gazed at the sniper rifle and sighed, "You know, Broo. A gun is too good for a monster like Midas. He poisoned the fishing hole and killed Melissa so I have every right to get up close and personal with him."

Bert put the rifle away and pulled a heavy aluminium baseball bat out of the fishing pole box, "This should teach old Midas a lesson."

Broo whimpered and nuzzled Bert's leg. The raccoon bent down and gently stroked the puppy's head, "It may be a while before we see each other again, Broo." Bert gave the little puppy a kiss on the head and a quick hug, "No one will be there to lick my tears in prison unless I get stuck with a really weird cellmate who makes me his prison-bitch."

Bert tried to chuckle at his own joke and sighed, "I guess this is goodbye, Broo. We've sure had some great times together." The raccoon gave a puppy a tearful yet warm hug as Broo continued to lick Bert's tears away, "I'll miss you..."

Meanwhile, an enraged Ralph marched up the steps to Sneer Manor and pounded on the door. Cedric opened it, "Yes?"

"I'd like to have a little word with Cyril." Ralph replied coldly with a death glare.

Cedric looked nervous. He had never seen Ralph so...angry before. Something must have happened, "Well, Pop is resting in his bed. What's this all about, anyway?"

"Bert took the sniper rifle from me and blamed it on my brother, George. I have no clue where he is right now but there's no doubt he'll be at Knox's party tonight. If he kills Midas and gets arrested, I'll be all alone in the Raccoondiminium and that's the last thing I need!" Ralph replied.

"Wait a minute, I saw Bert with with my dad's sniper rifle in the clubhouse. He said he was cleaning it." Cedric explained.

Ralph just growled and folded his arms, "So Bert really did lie about the rifle!"

"We've got to go get Pop!" Cedric shouted.

Ralph shook his head, "There's no time. Let's take the limo to the clubhouse. It's only 7 so maybe Bert's still there."

"I sure hope you're right, Ralph." Cedric sighed and both of them ran out of Sneer Manor, got in the limo and drove off in the direction of the clubhouse.

Meanwhile, Bert was headed in the direction of Knox's manor on his bike with a backpack slung over his shoulder carrying the aluminum bat. He pedaled furiously as he drove past some bushes and through the forest. Sweat poured down his face and he could feel adrenaline pumping through his veins as murderous thoughts about Milton Midas tainted his mind. He wanted to see that sick son of a bitch scream and beg for mercy. He wanted to smell his blood in the air. He wanted to hear the snapping of his bones as he brought the bat down. Memories of the fishing hole and of Melissa. All of it went up in smoke as he raced as fast as he could to the party. Just 45 more minutes and the monster would be slain by the hero, Sir Bert of the Evergreen Forest.

Along the way, he decided to make a pit stop at Mr Willow's general store. He walked in and smiled at the polar bear, "Oh. Hey there, Mr Willow."

The bear gasped, "Bert! You look like a mess! What happened to you?"

Bert just chuckled a bit, "Just pouring a little extra blood, sweat and tears into exercising. You know, trying to stay in shape."

"You shouldn't be out biking in such cold weather." Mr Willow warned, "You know, early snow this year."

Bert rolled his eyes, "Oh, a little snow never hurt anyone. Besides, snow if pretty fun."

"I just don't want you to catch anything, Bert." Mr Willow replied.

Bert shrugged, "I'll be fine."

"By the way, what are you here for?" Mr Willow asked.

"Got any peanut butter soda in stock?" Bert asked, "Last time I checked, the freezer was all out."

Mr Willow nodded, "Ever since that new Elephant family moved to the Evergreen Forest, the peanut butter soda became a huge hit with them. They cleaned out every last bottle in the freezer when the last shipment came in. You may want to grab a couple while you're at it."

"What a bunch of party poopers." Bert scoffed, "Well, at least they've got good taste."

Bert walked over to the fridge and noticed only one peanut butter soda left. He sighed and bought it. Mr Willow adjusted his glasses, "Are you feeling all right, Bert? You seem...different somehow."

Bert chuckled a bit, "Me? Different? I'm the same old me I've always been. What makes you say that?"

"You look like you've been crying." Mr Willow noted.

Bert shrugged, "My eyes are a little watery cause of allergies. I guess there must be something in the air I'm sensitive to. Oh well, I'll see you later, Mr Willow. I've got someone I need to meet with!"

And so, Bert left the store, hopped on his bike and sped off.

Meanwhile, Mr Knox and his wife, Lady Baden Baden were talking at the party.

"I hate to say it, my darling but I've invited Milton Midas over to give a speech about his secrets to financial success." Knox drawled.

Lady Baden Baden blinked in shock, "But, Knoxie, he's absolutely dreadful! You know what he did to Melissa and certainly you know how sad poor Ralphie must feel about it."

"I know, my darling but Midas is a very successful and weathy man. When he gives his speech, he'll help inspire other businessmen to strive for greater success." Knox replied.

Lady Baden Baden crossed her arms, "But he did a lot of bad things to get rich and he's been in and out of jail countless times. I don't trust him one bit!"

"I know." Knox nodded, "But he did bribe us with enough money for the charity you love so much."

Lady Baden Baden sighed, "Well, I guess you do have a point there."

Meanwhile, Ralph and Cedric were still driving down the road when suddenly, the limo ran out of gas. Ralph groaned and slapped his paw to his forehead, "Out of gas at a time like this..."

"The pigs must've forgot to fill the gas tank. But that's all right. There's a gas can in the trunk of the limo." Cedric replied as he got out the driver's side door and went around the back. He opened the trunk and pulled put a gas can, "Just need to fill it up a little and..."

Cedric noticed how light the gas can was, "Empty..."

"Great, just great!" Ralph groaned sarcastically, "We might as well be calling a tow truck."

And so, Ralph hopped out of the limo and started walking. Cedric turned to Ralph, "Where are you going?"

"Forget the clubhouse, I'm pretty confident I can make it to Knox's mansion on time if I travel by foot. It's not that far. You just stay there and call the tow truck. I'll take care of Bert." Ralph replied.

Cedric nodded, "Be careful, Ralph. If Bert's got a hold of my father's rifle, he could be pretty dangerous."

"I'll be fine, Cedric, don't worry about me." Ralph replied as he waved to the aardvark.

Meanwhile, Bert had finally made his way to Knox's mansion and relaxed near some bushes. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a watch that said Seven thirty PM. Just half an hour later and Midas would be dead. Bert thought about how Ralph and Bentley cried into his sweater and how genuinely upset they were over Melissa's death. He then thought about Melissa's final moment when she was struck by Midas' limo and cringed. He then started at his peanut butter soda, the final thing he would drink as a free man, "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Sorry, Ralph, but Midas must be stopped."

Bert then chugged the peanut butter soda and took a deep sigh as he watched the snowflakes dance through the cool night air. It seemed like an eternity as the minutes ticked by and it was a quarter to 8 when Midas' limo pulled in the driveway of Knox's mansion and the eagle stepped out of his vehicle. Bert just glared at him, watching him as he advanced his way up the steps towards Knox's mansion. The raccoon felt his heart pounding in his chest as intense thoughts of pure hatred burned through his mind like wildfire.

Undercover of darkness, Bert snuck his way along the edge of the property and into the back entrance of Knox's mansion. He strolled through the kitchen virtually unnoticed by the chefs who were far too busy cooking to even care about his presence.

Meanwhile, Ralph had just reached the entrance to Knox's mansion and he was fairly out of breath. Blinking a few times, Ralph took a deep breath and crept past the security guards at the mansion entrance who were too invested in a game of poker to even notice him. Despite only wearing his scarf, Ralph found himself inside the mansion surrounded by rich folk in tuxedos and flashy dresses who didn't even bat an eyelash at him.

Meanwhile as Ralph looked for Bert, Midas was in the ballroom, walking up to the stage. All eyes in the room were on the eagle as he cleared his throat, "Testing. 1...2...3...all right. Fellow aspiring rich folk of the Evergreen Forest. You probably know me as Milton Midas, the richest tycoon in all of Evergreen Forest. I'll be here to answer questions and tell you the secrets of my success. Does anyone have any questions?"

A dog raised his paw, "Excuse me, but aren't you supposed to be in jail for that hit and run incident a few days ago? I heard that woman you hit died in the hospital and left behind a husband."

Midas just gasped in fake shock, "Oh no, I had no idea...I thought she was a wild animal when I hit her and that I didn't hit her that hard."

Ralph heard Midas' voice echo through the mansion. Wild animal? The raccoon felt himself fuming. How dare that scumbag call Melissa that!

A sociallite skunk in a pink dress raised her paw, "Don't you feel bad about what you did when you hit her?"

Midas shrugged, "Not really, it's called an accident for a reason you know. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, she was the stupid one for being out in the middle of the road. If you ask me, she had it coming to her. Besides, what kind of stupid husband would marry a girl who walks out on the middle of the road? He's probably crying his eyes out right now because his wife just won a Darwin Award."

Ralph was completely and utterly repulsed by what Midas just said. He had the nerve to blame Melissa for her own death. The monster had absolutely no remorse for what he did. The thought that someone could say something so horrible about Melissa made Ralph's blood boil. Right then and there, he wished he had a large machete to behead that demonic eagle in front of everyone but it wouldn't be him getting the kill shot and no machete would be involved.

Bert had overheard Midas brushing off Melissa's death as well and his hatred for the eagle just flared up as high as it could go. He recalled just how upset Ralph was when Melissa died and the way he actually broke down in tears and cried into Bert's signature sweater. Ralph rarely felt comfortable crying in front of others so Bert knew just how badly his wife's death broke him. The lovable goofball remembered the sounds of Ralph literally sobbing himself to sleep and just how absolutely helpless and destroyed he sounded. Not just Ralph, but Bentley was also pretty shaken by her death. The poor little raccoon just bawled his eyes out consistently over the news and Lisa also took it pretty hard. Bert tried his best to be the shoulder to cry on, the one to give support but he was just as broken as everyone else.

A fancy dressed porcupine raised his paw, "How on Earth did you get out of jail after hitting that poor girl?"

Midas just smirked, "Money, of course. Bribery sure goes a long way if you've got enough cash."

"I HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!" Bert shouted at the top of his lungs.

Midas spun around to see Bert Raccoon himself, glaring at the eagle with intense hatred burning in his eyes. Midas blinked in confusion, "Who are you? You seem...strangely familiar..."

"I'm Bert Raccoon." Bert replied, "Remember? I was the one who exposed that whole Beaver Bite Swamp scam of yours."

Midas shrugged, "Oh, yeah...I remember now...sort of."

"Do you have any idea just how badly you hurt my friends?" Bert spat, glaring at the eagle as rage coursed through his veins.

Midas shrugged, "Honestly, I don't care. I did it for the money and it was worth it. By the way, how did a commoner like you get in here, anyway? You-"

Midas was interrupted when Bert drew the aluminum bat from his backpack and swung it as hard as he could against the eagle's beak, drawing blood.

"HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME-" Midas was interrupted by a second swing which instantly knocked him unconscious. Bert was completely enraged. He pounced on Midas and started beating him with the bat as if he were a robot programmed to do so. He could literally hear Midas' bones breaking as blood sprayed everywhere from the impact of the bat. Lady Baden Baden had literally fainted. Some aristocrats screamed and evacuated while others stared in shock. Even a couple of them applauded Bert as he continued to beat the unconscious Midas to a bloody pulp.

Ralph heard the commotion and ran over to the ballroom, screaming at the top of his lungs, "BERT, STOP! STOOOOOOOOP!"

But Ralph's cries went on deaf ears. Bert had gotten on top of Midas and started jabbing the bat as hard as he possible could into Midas' chest, the sound of the eagle's ribcage cracking. He then started swinging as hard as he could at Midas' thoat, crushing and completely destroying his windpipe. After a total of 64 brutal swings of the bat, Bert finally collapsed from exhaustion, tears falling from his eyes and mixing with Midas' large pool of blood as he wept.

Ralph was completely stunned and speechless, trying to register in his brain the fact that he had just witnessed Bert literally beat someone to death. Just then, Ralph's mood changed from shock to rage, "BERT, YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"

"Midas...is...gone...dead...can't hurt anyone..." Bert breathed.

"I KNOW! I WANTED MIDAS DEAD TOO BUT YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND DO THIS! BERT, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOU'LL BE GOING TO PRISON FOR THIS! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!" Ralph shouted, tears scalding his eyes like burning acid.

"Ralph...I..."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF YOUR LAME EXCUSES, BERT! I WILL BE ALONE IN THE RACCOONDIMINIUM. COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY ALONE! MELISSA'S DEAD, YOU'RE GOING TO JAIL AND ON TOP OF ALL THIS BULLSHIT, THE EVERGREEN STANDARD IS GONE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA JUST HOW MUCH PAIN I'M IN RIGHT NOW?!" Ralph half-screamed half-sobbed, hot tears now streaming down his face.

Bert shivered a little. He had never seen Ralph so angry in his entire life. He was shouting at the top of his lungs and cursing at him but Bert gathered up enough courage to walk over to Ralph and rest his bloody paw on his shoulder, "Ralphie boy..."

Ralph immediately slapped Bert's paw away and glared up at him through angry tears, "DON'T. CALL. ME. THAT. I am NOT your friend!"

Bert hung his head, "Ralph...I'm...sorry."

Ralph just sniffled and rubbed his eyes with his scarf as he calmed down a bit, "Sorry won't bring Melissa back...or the fact that I just lost one of my best friends over a stupid act of heated revenge. Bert, Milton Midas deserved to die but actions have consequences. You just bludgeoned someone to death in front of a bunch of people. You're going to prison whether you like it or not."

"Ralph..." Bert put his arm around Ralph and Ralph angrily shoved him away.

"Just shut up and leave me alone. No more needs to be said..." Ralph sighed as he slowly walked out of the mansion as police rushed in and handcuffed a blood-soaked Bert. Bert just stood in shock as Ralph turned his back on him.

A single tear rolled down Bert's face as he whispered, "Ralph...please forgive me?" Bert then turned his head and stared at the lifeless, beaten corpse of Milton Midas. All that rage he unleashed. It was certainly one of the most vicious murders in Evergreen Forest history but at the same time, Midas had it coming to him. The eagle's blood slid down the bat in crimson rivers, his brain had literally been bashed out of his skull, the attack was so brutal.

Later that night, a tearful Ralph was all alone in the Raccoondiminium. He slowly dialed Cedric's number and choked out into his phone, "Cedric...can you and Sophia please come over? It's really empty is here...please..."

Cedric heard Ralph's tear-choked voice at the other end of the line and it just ripped him apart. Never had he heard a more broken, helpless-sounding voice in his entire life. Milton Midas broke Ralph and Bert only made things worse even if his intentions were good. Cedric sighed, "All right, Ralph. We'll come over and stay."

Ralph sighed, "Thank you, Cedric. I knew I could count on you."

And so, Ralph hung up the phone and sat alone at the kitchen table. Completely and utterly alone. No more Melissa to kiss and hug him. No more Bert to make him laugh and roll his eyes. Schaeffer was too busy staying with the humans. Ralph had deeply hoped that Cedric and Sophia would move in with him to fill the void of the empty house. With two of his best friends gone and his newspaper no more, all poor Ralph could do was wallow in his own sorrow and cry. He was glad Midas was dead but was it really worth it?

Half an hour passed and there was a knock at the door. Ralph got up and opened it and there stood Cedric and Sophia. Immediately, Ralph wrapped his arms around Cedric in the tightest hug he could manage as tears poured from his eyes, "Thank you for being here for me..."

Cedric just rubbed Ralph's back, "It's okay, Ralph. We're not going to leave anytime soon..."

Sophia stroked and petted Ralph on the head, "You poor thing..."

Ralph slowly broke the hug and wiped the tears from his muzzle, "Sorry if that came across as a little desperate and clingy..."

Cedric patted Ralph on the back, "It'll be all right, Ralph. Just give it some time. I can't really believe that Bert did that, either."

Ralph sighed and shook his head, "At least you didn't see it with your own eyes...I was too scared to stop him once he started so I helplessly watched as he..."

Cedric pulled Ralph into a hug, "It'll be all right, Ralph. Do you forgive Bert for what he did?"

Ralph sighed, "I really do want to forgive him but...he abandoned me when I needed him most. Now he's going to jail and every time I return home, it'll be to an empty house. I REALLY don't want to live like that."

"We can move in if you like." Sophia replied "Is that okay with you, Cedric?"

Cedric sighed, "I have Pop to worry about. I suppose I could move in if I could check on him every once in a while."

Ralph smiled sadly, "Thanks, Cedric. At least I've got you two. I suppose you two could move into Bert's room. It's pretty messy, though so I'll probably have to put some of his things in a storage closet."

Ralph slowly entered Bert's room and sighed. As he opened Bert's closet, he noticed the closet was full of Bert's signature sweaters. He took the sweaters off the hangers, placed them on the bed and started neatly folding them. Sighing, Ralph hung his head, a tear falling from his eye and staining the red fabric of one of Bert's sweaters, "Oh Bert, you idiot..."

With a sad sigh, Ralph continued to pack Bert's things into storage so Cedric and Sophia could move in with him. He knew they'd be very different from Bert and Melissa but at the same time, being alone in that house would probably destroy poor Ralph in the long run. Calling up Cedric and Sophia was a smart move on his part. Ralph's life had been completely turned upside-down and it would probably take him years to fully recover from the shock. As he finished cleaning and tidying up Bert's room, he came across a picture of him, Bert and Melissa all huddled together in a warm hug. With tears misting up in his eyes, Ralph could only choke out four words before sobbing for the umpteenth time, "I'll miss you guys..."

**NOTE:** _Poor Ralph. He could really use a hug and some cuddles (maybe even a grief counselor). This is actually probably the most depressing fanfic I have ever written IMO. I'm thinking of doing an epilogue chapter involving Lisa visiting Bert in prison and Melissa's funeral. Depends on how hard writer's block hits, I guess._


End file.
